Arizona Daily Sun (April 24, 2018) by Jack Welch

In this time of rare good news what follows is an inspiring tale about the Arizona Trail, lost equipment, and a remarkable hummingbird.

Recently my friend Ellen Wade was involved in a hike to Fisher Point, and after she completed the adventure she realized expensive binoculars gifted her by husband Bill were missing. She quickly retraced her route, but unfortunately came back home empty-handed. A few days later she and Bill left town and when they returned to Flagstaff there was a trio of amazing messages on their telephone answering machine.

The astonishing communications were from a man identifying himself only as “Hummingbird,” which was apparently his Arizona Trail name. It’s a time-honored tradition among hikers doing long-distance treks to bestow a descriptive (usually pleasant) moniker on fellow hikers or adopt one for themselves. It’s all in good fun and done to acknowledge the good-humored relationships that often develop between fellow trekkers.

Read the rest of the article here.